DISCLAIMER: I don't anything by TP!

Big Magic

"Duke Baird, I told her I wouldn't tell her father." Kel pleaded as Duke Baird wrote a correspondence to Lord Wyldon. She couldn't get him to understand. It had been two weeks since the attack on Kassy and they were no where close to find out who had attacked her.

"Yes, you said that you wouldn't tell her father." When the Duke spoke that way, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere. Kel looked at the messenger who was to go to Fort Mastiff. He was eating since he had just gotten there from Steadfast.

"Well, I guess. Then I am not breaking my promise." Kel said resigned. Glad that someone was going to tell Lord Wyldon and that it wasn't going to be her.

"True enough. I hope you know that I am not going to tell him that she was raped." The Duke said quietly looking at her confused expression. "I am going to say there was an attack and that Kassy was injured, but she would be alright. I am not exactly going to lie. The day after New Hope was attacked." Kel could have kissed him.

"There are good points having grown up in the court." Kel turned to see Neal leaning against the doorway to his father's study. He came in slowly and put a hand on Kel's arm. She smiled at him as he went to sit near his father to make his own reports.

"Merric said that she is good with the sword, I just hope that we could one day help her to trust again." Kel said resigned. She left the room quietly and went to train the archers.

Kassy heard that hand-to-hand combat wasn't likely, but she wanted to learn. When she changed into her practice clothing, she did so with her head high. She was going to learn to defend herself against those who would want to hurt her.

When she got to the practice yard she saw Merric leaning against the rack which held extra spears. She smiled at him and he returned it. She had grown to respect him as a friend. She didn't tell him who her father was, and no one else had bothered to tell him. She was glad, because everyone who knew that Lord Wyldon was her father treated her differently. And Merric had been taught under his command would definitely treat her differently.

Kassy slowly approached and turned to look who else was there. A bunch of refugees were talking and practicing what they already learned. "They seem to enjoy this training then?"

Merric nodded and answered, "They enjoy it because they know one day it may be vital to know it. Also, they respect their teacher." Merric gestured to a man talking to a refugee woman. When the man turned, Kassy paled. Mark looked her straight in the eye and smiled. He approached the two.

"Well, Hello there Kassy." He looked at Merric and said, "training is about to start. Are you going to join us?"

"No, I am actually going to take out a patrol." Merric spoke to Mark.

"That's too bad." He turned his look on Kassy as she backed up to the rack of spears. "What about you Kassy?"

"I-I-think I am going to go train with the archers. I had just come over to talk to Merric." Kassy looked pleadingly at Merric.

"May I walk with you? I am going in the same direction." Merric took the girls arm when someone came over and called for Merric. He reluctantly let go of Kassy and went to talk to Dom. He glared at him.

"Well then, Kassy. I see that you are making your way around the men, aren't you." Mark spoke quietly and spitefully. Looking to see if anyone was looking, he slowly ran his finger from her throat, down to her chest and left it there. Kassy took in a quick breath, about to cry. "Well, at least I got to you first. Maybe I will take you after him?"

"Kassy?" Dom called to her, and Mark moved away. Kassy stayed, frozen in place, unable to move.

"Kassy?" Merric and Dom had come over to her. He turned her so she could see him. Tears were silently falling from her eyes. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe them away. She didn't flinch from his touch, she never had.

"We have to get her to the infirmary, away from anyone. Neal is the only on in there right now." Dom said as he was about to put his hand on Kassy's shoulder, but thought better of it when she flinched.

"Alright. Will you tell my patrol I will only be a couple of minutes?" Dom nodded and left. He was shaking his head and looked over to Mark, who was watching everyone practice their blocks, completely unaware of what was going on.

"What is going on? Why-"Neal stopped when he saw Kassy's pale face and Merric's red one.

"She hasn't been like this in a long time." He said quietly as he sat Kassy on one of the cots. She was completely oblivious to what was going on. All she thought about was Mark's hands on her again; that night replayed in her head again. She had finally been able to sleep.

"Kassy, will you listen to me?" Merric asked as he gazed into her eyes. He could see that they were completely blank. But then another feeling became visible and he cursed. Her fear was showing through.

"We got to tell Kel. But I have to go." Merric said as he rose and went to the door.

"Who is it?" Neal called to him. But then Kassy heard the exchange.

"NO! He will kill me. You mustn't tell anyone, please!" Kassy exploded at them. They both looked at her as she began to cry again. She had been strong for a long time, but now she was breaking down. "I am just not used to men yet, that's all that happened." She looked at Neal.

"Fine, but I hope that one day you won't be afraid to tell us." Merric said quietly as he left the infirmary, calling himself three kinds of idiot as he left.

Kassy looked around her. She carefully stood and looked to Neal once more. "I am fine, really." She left the infirmary and went for a walk. She needed to clear her head and get away from everything. She went to her room and grabbed her sword.

When she got to the gates she looked up as Merric and his men left, she slipped behind them and made her way as if to follow archers who had been practicing. She looked around to make sure no one was looking and ran straight for the woods. When she got there it was quiet except for the noise of the woods; leaves swaying in the wind, birds chirping.

She found a boulder and sat on it, thinking about the last month. She remembered how she had bugged the Queen to talk to the King about letting her help, since she was almost a full fledged mage. Shaking her head at the memory she thought back to the night at Steadfast, and how she had spoken to her father.

"He won't forgive me for a long time about that one." Kassy spoke to herself and looked around her. "I have to stop being such a ninny if I am going to get on with my life."

The night she was raped by Mark reminded her that she needed to keep a reign on her manners. She had flirted with him, but didn't know that he would want something more. He had barely known him, and yet she had trusted him. Shaking her head at her own folly Kassy thought about the friends she had gained.

"Kel, Neal, and Dom." When she said the names she couldn't help but add, "Don't treat me like a friend, because they knew who my father is. I wish I could just be Kassy for once." She brought her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "I really don't have any friends here. I am just a burden. Maybe I should just go home."

Sighing, Kassy stood and stretched, she gone about an hour and light was fading slightly. Not thinking about how it had just been midday she made her way back to New Hope. Looking up to the sky she noticed that the sun was still at the zenith, and was confused that it was already getting dark. She made her way quickly to where they were plowing. They hadn't noticed the change in light.

Kassy looked back to the forest and saw a bunch of birds shoot towards New Hope. One came to Kassy and she laid her palm open to the sky so that it could give the count of the enemy. The sparrow jumped and tapped fifteen times. Kassy paled at the count. Seventy-five Scanrans came at them. She ran for the practicing archers while telling the people plowing to run for the camp.

"What are you doing out here?" Kel asked as she arrived panting.

"There are seventy-five men coming." Kassy answered, ignoring the question. Kel looked at her beginning archers and ordered them back to the camp as well. They were almost back to the camp when they heard the calls and horses. They were too far away from camp.

"We need to tell them to close the gate." Kel said uncomfortably. She saw that the men would be on them before they go there.

Kassy called mage fire and called for Neal. "Neal."

"Kassy? What is going on? Where are you?"

"Kel says to close the gates, we won't make it." Kassy looked at Kel to see if she wanted to say something else.

"Tell him he is in charge." Kel said with a quiet voice as they saw the men approach closer.

"Tell Kel that we won't close the gates without the two of you. I-"Kassy cut him off.

"She said close the gates and you are in charge." With that she let the fire go and the communication spell with it.

"Kassy, look. They haven't even noticed us." Kel said calmly. And she was right. They had completely ignored them. Using her Sight, Kassy could see they had three shamans.

"Kel, they have three shamans. I never thought New Hope was a target needful of three shamans." Kassy shook her head.

"Well, there are reasons. I killed Blayce, their killing machine maker last summer. And for awhile they haven't been able to get to us because we have had Numair Salmalin here, as well as me having Griffon feather arrows. I guess they decided they needed all the help they could get." Kel said as she put on her Griffon feather band.

Kassy could feel the magic before it was visible. They were heading straight toward the camp when she came up with an idea. She had read a spell in the university that was to be done only by Black Robe mages like Numair but she had to try it.

"Kel, I am going to do a spell, be careful and don't be afraid." Kel just looked at and then nodded.

Kassy muttered the words and raised her hands. At first nothing happened, and Kassy thought she hadn't done it right. It was the first time she tried it. She opened her mouth to try it again but then the ground started to rumble. The shamans started to panic and tried to run, but instead they fell right into a big crevice that had opened up behind them. Three other such crevices opened up and swallowed up almost all of the men. It didn't get them all because Kassy's power was fading and her vision began to blur.

The last thing that Kassy saw was Kel's feet as she fainted.